Sheet pile



J. E. AMAND SHEET FILE July 13, 1933.

Filed Dec. 29, 1926 //VVE/VTOR d. E Amer/7a LZWM $7, 4

patented July 18, 1933 warren snares PATENT oer-ice v DOUGREE MARIHAYE, OF OUG-REE, BELGIUM SHEET FILE Application filed December 29, '192e, Serial No. 157,811, and in Belgium May 31 1926.

The increased use of metallic sheet piling duction of profiles'or shapes having a larger moment of inertia than would the simple sheet piles which were first employed.

The shapes or sections, or the means for joining such sections have hitherto had the extreme disadvantage from a practical standpoint'that they were expensiveto produce. The assemblage of such prior art sections was'ditlicult and detrimental strains were introduced which diminished the value of such sections for making coifer dams or retaining walls of great height and also for' supporting constructions such as the modern buildings. A still further disadvantage was due to the fact that when the prior art sheet piles, or the sections from which they were made up, were joined together, often resulted that the adjacent sides of the sections were not collinear, thus giving rise to torsional stresses and strains, oftentimes of con siderable magnitude and invariably materially diminishing the resistance of the assembled sheet piling.

My invention is directed to the construction of a sheet pile and assemblage thereof, avoiding the above mentioned disadvantages.

To this end, sections of simple profile are employed, which can be easily rolled from rolls of the usual size, which sections, when assembled according to my invention, nevertheless have a moment of inertia very much greater than that of the present day constructions. These sections are disposed alternately on different sides of the neutral axis of the row of sheet piles and are oined together .through the-intermediary of an assembled 40 H-shaped element maintaining the adjacent legs of two ad acent first-mentioned .or U- shaped element substantially collinear. As

suggested above the first-mentioned elements .or sections are substantially U-shaped in l5 cross section, preferably with their arms slightly inclined outwardly.

According to one form of my invention, the ends of the said arms to be joined together have enlarged heads or clutches, non-circular in cross section, which heads or clutches are slidable in a corresponding groove in the intermediate H-shaped. element, which, as shown in Fig. 2, has two grooves juxtaposed along the longitudinal axis of the cross sec tion thereof. Thus, with my construction there is produced an absolutely rigid assemblage of two U-shaped elements and either one or two H-shaped intermediate elements, f whereby the; neutral axis of the composite structure is shifted from lines closely adjacent the web or yoke of the U-shaped elements to a line through the H-shap'ed intermediate. elements. Inconstructing a composite as-. semblage the U-shaped elements are first slid along the H-shape'd elements, whereby they are rigidly secured in position as byv keying, riveting, spot'welding orthe like.

One form of my invention is shown by wayof example in the accompanying drawing wherein r j Figure 1 is a plan View of a row of sheet piles following my invention, while Figure2 is a perspective view correspond ing to Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing each 'sheet'pilecomprises two substantially simple and easily rolled U-shaped elements .1, which can, be readily produced from rolling mills of the usual 'size and which in themselves do not have a particularly large moment of in: ertia with respect to its neutral axis. ,For. the'sake of simplicity all of the U-shaped elements areexactly alike. Two U-shaped elements disposed adjacent toeach other in ment and having a contour substantially complement-a1 to that of the enlarged heads 8 of the U-shaped elements, the said enlarged heads 3 being non-circular in section. A sheet-pile as referred to hereinabove com prises an assemblage of two U-oshaped elements 1 and. either one or two'intermediate H-shaped elements 2. The first, of these two H-shaped elements is disposed between the two U-shaped elements, and is -rigidly joined to'the U-shaped elements in any suitable manner, as by pressing, riveting, keying,

' element 1.

Because of the non-circular contour of the heads 8 and cooperating grooves 4, it is substantially impossible to move the U-shaped elements out of alignment about vthe H. shaped element 2' as an axis, so that no torsional strains arise. I

I prefer that the three or four element sheet piles be assembled at the factory before shipping, the three element construction being adapted as the central or key member, and any desired number of four element assemblages being disposed at each side thereof, the second of said H-shaped elements facilitating such connection; While the ad jacent sheet piles of either three or four elements can be fitted in position with respect to each other through relative longitudinal movement, the desired large moment of inertia is insured because of the rigid interconnection between the H- shaped element 2 and the U-shaped element 1 of each sheet pile.

'Because of the width. of the material of the H-shaped element 2 intermediate the grooves 4, the total moment of inertia of'the assemblage is increased over that which would result if two of the U-shaped elements were juxtaposed ithout the intermediary of such H-shaped element. 7 a

' It is readily evident from the foregoing that once the broad idea'of my invention is disclosed numerous modifications and adaptations will occur to those skilled in the art falling within the spirit of my invention. Accordingly I intend that my lIlYGIllSlOII be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. v a i What I claim is 1. An assembled zt-shaped sheet pile' formed by the connectionof two single and symmetrical U-shaped elements having flanges diverging exteriorly and provided each with a massive extremity theconnected flanges being arranged in rectilinear relation in such a way that the medianflange of the thus formed Z-shaped sheet pile lies in a plane, a symmetrical H-shaped beam .con-

necting said two Ll-shaped elements in the two depressions of which itheedges of the flanges of the elements are rigidly embedded, before the ramming, thus forming a Z-shaped sheet pile constituted by three elements.

2. An assembled Z-shaped sheet pile formed by the connection oftwo single and symmetrical U-shaped elements having flanges diverging exteriorly and provided each with a massive extremity the connected flanges being arranged in rectilinear relation in sucha way that the median flange of the thus formed Z-shaped sheet pile lies in place, a symmetrical H-shaped beam connecting said two U-shaped elements in the two depressions of which the edges of the flanges of the elements are rigidly embedded before the a second H-shaped beam rigidly adapted at the free extremity of one of the U-shaped elements, in such away that a depression is formed in the prolongation of the external flange of said U-shaped element, the Z-shaped sheet pile thus formed being constituted by four elements and comprising on one side a massive extremity and at the other a depression allowing the connection with another sheet pile. a

An assembled Z-shaped sheet pile formed by the connection of two single and symmetrical U-shaped elements having flanges diverging exteriorly, and provided each with a massive extremity non-circular in section, the connected flanges being arranged in rectilinear relation in such a way that the median flange of the thus formed Z-shaped sheet pile lies in a plane, asymmetrical H-shaped beam connecting said two U-chaped elements, in the two depressions of which the edges of the flanges of the elements are rigidly embedded before the ramming,

the said depressions being non-circular in section, so that the internal faces of said depressions are in contact along a surface with the external faces of the massive extremities of the U-shapedelements. 7

4. in assembled Z-shaped sheet pile formed by the connection of two single and symmetrical 'UfSIIZlPQC1 elements having flanges diverging exteriorly, and provided each with a massive extremity non-circular in section, the connected flanges being ar ranged in rectilinear relation in such a way that the median flange of the thus formed Z-shaped sheet pile lies in a plane, a symmetrical H-shaped beam connecting said two U-shaped elements, in the two depressions of which the edges of the flanges of the elements are rigidly embedded before the ramming, the saiddepressions being non-circular in section, so that the internal faces of said depressions are in contact along a surface with the external faces of the massive extremities .of the U-shaped element, a second H-shaped beam with an analogous section being adapted at the free extremity of one ,of 'T' the U-shaped elements.

JAMES EUGENE AMAND. a 

